Acetylene-gas generator.



E. H. TAYLOR.

AGETYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1014.

Patented June 30, 19M

gmmmtoz win H 752 507" EWING H. TAYLOR, OF HOWELL, TENNESSEE.

ACETYL-ENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

Application filed Apri1 14, 1914. Serial No. 831,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EWING H. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Howell, in the county of Lincoln and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a spoolfication.

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators and particularly to that class of such apparatus which operate upon the principle of submerging the body of carbid in a confined body of water to generate the gas, and in which the body of carbid is carried by the bell which is sustained by the gas generated, so that each time the gas is consumed and the bell descends, the carbid will enter the water until an unslaked portion thereof reaches the water and generates a new supply of gas.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this general class which will be of very simple construction, yet eflicient and reliable in operation and which will overcome difficulties that have been encountered in attempts heretofore made to produce successful apparatus operating upon this principle. One diliiculty encountered in apparatus of this type has arisen from the impracticability of delivering properly cooled gas to the service pipe without the use of filtering or washing attachments which add to the complication of the apparatus. Another objection has arisen through the difficulty of slaking all the carbid and consuming the main body of gas without bringing the operation of the apparatus to an abrupt end and putting the plant temporarily out of commission without warning. The present invention eliminates both of these di'fliculties by a very simple combination of elements, comprising mainly an auxiliary gas chamber projecting partly within and partly above the bell and providing a carbid holder and generating chamber, the upper portion of which connected to the main gas chamber of the bell, so that it delivers to the latter, the main portion of each new body of gas that is generated, but notwithstanding this, serves as a provisional gas chamber from which gas is supplied to the service pipe whenever the main body of gas in the bell has been exhausted and the bell has descended so low that it has become entirely filled with the water of the tank, as for instance when the last portion ofthe carbid has been consumcd, or even when the bell descends to its extreme limit before the water reaches the uppermost portion of the carbid charge. The essential features upon which these results are dependent arc the projection of the generating chamber and provisional gas holder above the top of the bell; a communication bet-wcen the top of the bell and the provisional gas chamber; and an outlet to the service pipe from the provisional gas chamber and preferably near the top thereof. As already intimated, one of the two principal advantages accruing from this particular combination of elements is the supply of properly conditioned gas, resulting from the fact that at each period of generation, the main body of gas, as it is generated, flows out of the provisional chamber and into the main storage chamber of the bell where it has ample time to precipitate its moisture as well as any of the finely divided calcium substance held in suspension therein, and before such gas can again reach the service pipe, it must pass back into the comparatively small provisional chamber, where it contacts with the relatively cool walls which are surrounded by the at mosphere, thus further conditioning the gas. The other advantage of this particular combination of elements is that after the last portion of the carbid has been consumed and the gas therefrom has passed off to the service pipe and the bell has reached its lower limit, so that it has become filled with water, there is a residue of gas remaining in the provisional chamber, the pressure of which immediately begins to drop slowly, though not with sufficient rapidity to put the system out of commission before it can be attended to, and thus the provisional gas chamber lying well above the water level and having its channel of communication with the bell leading to a high point therein, and having the service outlet communicating directly with a high point therein, serves as a telltale or warning element in the same simple combination of features which affords the other main advantage referred to.

In carrying out the invention, the carbid chamber is made in annular form and with a perforated inner wall within which the body of water freely rises, and through the perforations of which it passes directly to the submerged portion of the unslaked carbid at each descent of the bell, so that it acts with great promptness in wetting the portion of the carbid necessary to be slaked in creating the charge of gas, and thus gen crates the gas with such rapidity that the main body of the new charge overflows into the bell space and insures the advantageous operation and conditioning of the gas already referred to.

With these and further objects in view, the invention resides in an arrangement embodying the essential features of construction and cooperative relationship pointed out in the subjoined claims and explained by the illustrative embodiment fully set forth in the following description and accompanying drawing, also in certain novel details of construction to be found in said illustrative embodiment as also pointed out in the claims.

In said drawing the figure is a vertical view through the central section of the ap paratus.

1 and 2 represent a pair of vertically disposed telescoping members comprising the water tank and gas bell. The gas bell 2 is constructed for vertical telescopic movement within the water tank 1 and is adapted to carry a carbid chamber 3 which projects partly above and partly below the top thereof to provide a carbid holder in the lower portion at and a restricted gas dome in the upper portion 5.

6 is a perforated water passage which extends vertically throughout the carbid chamber 3 and is provided with a flange or bosses 7 which provide means for seating and retaining it in a substantially rigid vertical position. The chamber 3 is also provided with a series of perforations 8 which allows the water to drain from the carbid when the gas bell rises. When it is desired to expel the used or slaked carbid in the holder 4, a trap screw or hand hold plate 9 is raised and the water passage is unseated by means of a strap or the like 10. The water passage 6 being perforated throughout its length will provide eliicient means for allowing the water to reach the dry carbid without passing through the used or slaked carbid, thereby insuring a positive action. The gas bell 2 provides a storage chamber for the gas after a full charge has been completed To prevent the gas which is generated when the bell is settling, from retarding its movement, the restricted chamber 4 is constructed to take care of a suflicient amount of the gas and thereby allow the bell free movement, in other words the gas will remain in the dome 4 until a sufficient amount has been generated to force it Copies of this patent may be obtained for through the passage 11 leading into the bell 2. A filter is shown at 12 which connects with the restricted dome 5 and a service supply pipe 13. \Vith this construction the bell 2 serves as a storage chamber and the dome 5 as a service chamber, whereby the gas is compelled to travel back through the passage 11 before it reaches the service pipe 13, thus it will be noted that the gas generated by the settling of the bell will necessarily have to charge the restricted dome 5 before it will supply the bell or storage chamber with a suflicient amount of gas to raise the bell and the carbid out of contact with the water.

I claim 1. A self-contained acetylene gas generating and conditioning apparatus comprising a suitable tank, a bell slidably mounted in said tank, a container mounted upon said bell, having in its lower portion, means for confining a body of carbid and admitting water thereto when submerged, and its upper portion providing a distributing chamher; said container projecting partly within the bell and partly. above the same, thereby adapting it to submerge carbid contained in the lower portion thereof and protruding its upper portion into the atmosphere; said container having a gas pipe communicating between the upper portion thereof and the top of the bell, and having a service outlet leading directly from the upper portion thereof, whereby the main body of gas generated by submerging the carbid is delivered at once to the bell chamber for conditioning and thereafter flows slowly back through the upper portion of the distributing chamber, whereby it is further conditioned in reaching the service outlet.

2. A gas generator comprising a pair of vertically disposed elements providing a water tank and a gasbell, means carried by said bell for immersing successive portions of the charge of carbid in said water tank, comprising a carbid chamber, a perforated vertically disposed water passage carried by said carbid chamber and extending thercthrough having means for removing it from norn'ial position to permit discharging the slaked carbid from said carbid chambu:

The foregoing specification signed at Fayetteville Tennessee this 21th day of March. 191%.

EVVING- H. TAYLOR.

In presence of Marrin Grins, NEWTON WHITAKER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents Washington, If. G. 

